Stopped in Time
by gredandforgerock
Summary: I know marriage law stories have been done to death. But the light side has been bamboozled by Umbridge and Harry refuses to marry Pansy. He will get it stopped even if he has to work with the Slytherins, house elves and Snape. Time travel and Canon pairings. Starts about one month after the final battle. This is a self-challenge and story 1 in the series of 3 for now.
1. Chapter 1

"They can't do this." Ginny Weasley shouted at her father, "How can you allow this to happen?"

"Sweet heart I'm sorry." He replied, "I don't have any power to stop this."

"But you do." Harry said calmly to Kingsley.

"I tried." He sighed, "But we don't have enough people on our side. Those that are light side are opposing us. We're backing the purebloods on this one. They're just terrified if they don't pair a light or neutral person to a dark person they'll have another major dark wizard in a matter of a few years."

"They're going to if they force us to marry someone they choose." Harry frowned, "It will be me. Parkinson will drive me to it. There isn't any way at all that I'd consent to having sex with her."

"I'm sure Malfoy will be dead within a week." Ginny huffed.

"With Nott right behind him." Hermione growled.

"Bulstrode." Ron whimpered still looking at the paper containing his spouse to be.

"Oh, I don't feel so bad now." Ginny snickered at her older brother, "That is seriously disgusting."

"Do you have a list of all persons being affected by this?" Harry asked.

"I do. I can't let you have it, but if a copy was to be made of this list there would be nothing I could do if I didn't know it." Kingsley smirked laying the parchment on the table and turning his back, as did the other adults in the room.

"You have a meet and greet tomorrow." Arthur mumbled as they all turned back after a few seconds, "All of you together in one place to be matched up with your chosen."

"I'm not going." Ron declared, "I think I'm moving to Australia."

"Oh we're going." Harry grinned evilly, "We're all going."

"Harry, I don't like that look." Kingsley grimaced.

"I like it." Ginny grinned, "What are we going to do?"

"Go to the library." Harry chuckled at the mouths that dropped open.

"Hey that's Mione's line." Ron spluttered.

"He can borrow it." Hermione was all for anything to get out of a marriage with Theodore Nott.

"Old laws aren't going to help you." Kingsley sighed, "This one supersedes anything that has been in place before."

"Oh well." Harry let his shoulders droop and turned his back, "I guess we can't do anything."

Only the wink to his friends let them know he wasn't backing down. To help with the ruse the other three also drooped and turned and made their way to Ron's room. They closed the door, locking and silencing it before Hermione turned on Harry.

"What's the plan?"

"First we need to get everyone involved to Hogwarts." Harry stated.

"You mean Slytherins too?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Everyone." Harry declared, "I'm sure they are just as ticked as we are about being forced to marry each other."

"Point." He conceded.

"Letters are going to take too long." Hermione was quickly calculating how much time they had to get a meeting arranged before the event the next evening.

"It won't take us an hour." Harry grinned, "All we have to do is get to Hogwarts."

"How are we supposed to get into Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Portkey." Harry pulled a snitch out of his pocket. When his friends lifted an eyebrow he explained, "McGonagall gave it to me as an emergency portkey in case I get attacked or overwhelmed by fans. It takes me to Gryffindor tower."

"What are we waiting for?" Ginny placed a finger on the small ball.

Ron and Hermione followed with just a bit of reluctance. Harry tapped the ball with his wand and they all felt the pull as they disappeared in a swirl of color. None of them heard the gentle knock as Molly tried to get them to open the door. It would be a good thirty minutes before Bill suggested they fly up to the window to get their attention. By that time of course they were long gone.

"Harry, what are you all doing here?" Minerva asked as they all ran into the Great Hall during a staff meeting.

"Emergency." Harry explained, "May we borrow the house elves?"

"What?" she asked.

"I need them all for just about three minutes." He explained, "Oh, can we kick you out of here?"

"Harry." McGonagall started.

"Have you seen the new marriage law?" he asked. When she shook her head he continued, "It is pairing a light person with a dark one in the hopes of preventing another dark wizard like Volde."

"That's ridiculous they can't do that." She huffed.

"They are." Harry pulled his paper out, "They've matched me with Parkinson of all people."

"She was all for handing him over to Volde if you remember correctly." Hermione reminded the group.

"We don't want you here so you can't be blamed for helping." Ginny finished.

"I think we'll adjourn this meeting to my office in ten minutes." Minerva stated standing, all the others left without a glance or another question, "Babble."

"Yes Headmistress." And old elf popped into the room.

"Aid Mr. Potter with whatever he needs please. Whether it be lunch or anything else." She stated and pulled the doors shut behind her as she went.

"What is you being needing?" he turned to the young man.

"Can you and the other elves please grab each of the people on this list and bring them back here." He asked and the thought of the literal way Dobby had taken everything, "Make sure they are properly dressed with no one straight out of the shower or anything. We just want them here within the hour."

"We can do that Master Harry." He nodded and popped away.

"Harry." Hermione started.

"Is it worth the argument to marry Nott instead of using what we can?" he stopped her before she could start.

"Right." She nodded, "But you will pay them."

"I will offer." He stated.

"I wonder why he called you master." Ginny pondered, "They don't usually do that unless you own them."

She didn't get her answer as people started popping into the hall. After about fifteen minutes the popping stopped but the roar of talking in the room was almost overpowering. Harry stood on the teacher's platform and set a loud firework off to catch everyone's attention. It quieted immediately and everyone turned to face him.

"Good morning, I trust you all received the same notice I did." He held up his ministry decree.

"Are you the one that kidnapped us all?" Draco yelled.

"I didn't kidnap you the house elves of Hogwarts did." He smiled, "I did express the interest in talking to all of you and you know how helpful they are."

"Good one Harry." Seamus called.

"Now Draco are you happy with the person they've chosen for you?" Harry addressed him since he was the one that spoke first.

"NO." he yelled, "They negated my contract with Astoria. We've had that since she was born."

"Right and I am betting the rest of you feel the same." He stated.

"But what can we do about it?" Padma asked from beside her sister, "It supersedes any laws or contracts placed before it."

"As I see it we can all rebel separately and bring many charges against the ministry and hold up court for a while." He said, "Or we can work together and rebel causing an upheaval of tremendous proportions. We already know we can beat any of them with magic. If we work together we can over throw the whole thing."

"How?" came a chorus of exclamations.

"I don't have a complete plan yet but if we work together we can develop one. We only have twenty four hours in which to do so." He said, "Can we put our differences behind us and work together?"

"What if we don't want to be led by you?" Pansy Parkinson growled out.

"I have an idea." Harry grinned, "Everyone, take a seat at your house table. Now we are going to vote for a leader. First nominations, they must be nominated and seconded and the person must agree to be nominated."

"I nominate Draco." She purred.

"I don't want it." Draco announced before it could be seconded, "If this falls flat I don't want to be blamed."

"Any others?"

"Harry Potter." Luna stood.

"I second it." Ron added immediately.

"I will agree to be nominated." He nodded, "Next?"

"Hermione Granger." George snickered from the back.

"NO." she stated loudly, "Though I thank you for the vote George."

They waited and no one else volunteered a name, Ron called it, "Anyone opposed to being led by Harry?" Pansy was the only one who raised her hand, "All for Harry?" Most of the room raised their hands.

"Ok thank you." Harry nodded, "Anyone who doesn't want to be a part of this stand up. Babble."

"Yes Master Harry." He asked softly.

"Everyone standing is to be returned home and their memories of this meeting taken." He stated. This caused a few gasps around the room.

Eighteen hours later they were closer but not ready for their rebellion. Everyone had been resting for the last few hours except Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna. The rest of the people in the room woke up as food began to appear on the tables. Harry was thinking deeply and only pushing the food around on his plate as he sat at the table.

"Is Master Harry unhappy with his meal?" the old elf Babble popped back into the room with all the elves of Hogwarts.

"No the meal is excellent as always." Harry said, "I'm just unhappy that the ministry is trying to force us to marry people we don't love. And we can't seem to find a way out."

"Is there anything Babble can do?" he asked, most of the people in the hall looked up at the conversation.

"Unless you can turn back time and repeal the law I just don't see what you can do." He sighed.

"How far back would you need to go?" the elf asked.

"Far enough back to give us time to change some of our bad decisions." Draco spoke looking at his arm he sat just down the table from Harry, "I should never have taken his mark."

"If we had the right adults here it would have been stopped." Hermione added dejectedly, "Dumbledore and Sirius would have stamped out that law before they could even think of it."

"I should have let my Slytherin side out more often." Harry said, "It would have been a lot less hassle."

"You said it." Ron agreed.

"You have a Slytherin side?" Daphne Greengrass laughed, "Never."

"He did just have everyone unwilling to help obliviated." Ginny pointed out.

"The hat had a hard time deciding if I should go to Slytherin or Gryffindor." Harry shrugged, "I know how to be sneaky I just usually tended to the rash because it was expected. If I could do it over I'd be a lot more Slytherin about things."

"As you wish." Babble snapped his fingers and everything went black.

As soon as Harry was aware again he had his wand out and was looking around. He found himself on the Hogwarts express with some of his friends in the compartment and his wand pointing at a younger Malfoy. They looked at each other with wide eyes before Harry nodded slightly and saw Draco do the same. Harry sent a quick spell at each of the goons and they froze in place. He then turned to Hermione.

"What's the spell for date and time?" he asked, he knew it but if he was where he thought he was he wasn't supposed to know. Hermione was known as a brain so she could get away with knowing it.

She flicked her wand and gasps filled the compartment. Draco was the first to speak, "How did we get back to fifth year?"

"House elf magic." Luna said, "But it would have taken so many of them to do it. Even more than what you'll find in Hogwarts."

"How do you know?" Draco frowned.

"We have learned something about Luna in all the years we've known her." Harry smiled, "No one knows how she knows but she does and she's always right."

"About the important things anyway." Hermione shrugged, "We haven't gotten any proof on some of her creatures."

"Right." Draco nodded once as he drug the word out.

"We need to get word to everyone on the train not to give away what happened until we can get a meeting." Harry said, "I'll obliviate the twin hulks. Draco can you take the Slytherin group to warn?"

"Sure, only those in the meeting right?" he asked.

"Right." Harry nodded, "Hermione take Ravenclaw with Luna. Ron find Ginny and you have Gryffindor. Nev and I will take Hufflepuff."

"Actually I better take the puffs." Ron smiled weakly, "Some of them really, really don't like you and will frown on their friends if they talk to you like nothing is wrong. Last year was the tournament."

"I forgot. Thanks." He grimaced, "I'll go find Ginny."

They set up a meeting for that evening in the Room of Requirement. Within a few minutes everyone was told and agreed to keep it hidden except Ginny. He still hadn't found her. He had just reached the front of the train when a door flew open and Ginny stepped out. Her wand was drawn and she sent a spell into the compartment.

"Next time you think you can touch me that way remember that." She growled and turned to find Harry grinning at her.

"Doesn't look like you need any help." He smiled, "Anyone in that car from the meeting?"

"No these were part of the ones that left." She whispered, "Besides he really didn't do anything I set it up to make him accidentally do something then flew off the handle about it."

The two of them turned and walked back the way Harry had come. Before they reached the door Michael Corner was stumbling out of his compartment.

"Ginny, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." He groveled, "The car jostled and I was just reaching for your hand."

"Likely story." She sniffed, "If I hadn't lifted my hand to straighten my hair you would have grabbed me."

"You probably should leave her be." Harry smiled slightly, "It may have been an accident but if her brothers hear they will make sure you have one."

"You aren't going to tell them are you?" he pulled back with a shocked look.

"I won't." Harry motioned to Ginny, "But she might, especially if rumors were to start about her."

"I won't say anything." Michael waved his hand, "It really was an accident."

"I'm sorry but I'm just not sure I can trust you." She sighed, "I think it's best if we just stay friends."

"We only lasted three hours." Michael complained, "One kiss."

"I… just… can't." she turned away and the two boys noticed her shoulders shaking.

"You better go." Harry grimaced and put an arm around Ginny, "You want to set with Hermione, Ron and I?"

She nodded her head and they turned to go with Michael's sorry chasing them. She waited until they were safely ensconced in their compartment with a notice me not spell on the doors and a silencing spell covering each wall. When Harry told her it was safe she dropped her hands and started laughing so hard she nearly fell on the floor. While she was laughing Harry explained what had happened. When the laughing in the compartment settled a good while later Harry started thinking. He realized the car had become quiet and he looked up.

"What are you thinking?" the other five asked him together.

"I was just trying to figure out how we are going to play this." he stated, "We have seventy five people who just traveled back in time three years. Lucius Malfoy is free and Sirius is still on the run. Umbridge is going to be our defense professor, educational decrees, blood quills and all."

"We also have to destroy all the Horcruxes." Hermione whispered with a pained look at Harry.

"I don't think I can go through that again." Ginny sobbed looking at Harry.

"Do we have any idea why I survived?" Harry asked and they all knew he was referring to the forest.

"Master of Death?" Ron asked.

"You're mothers sacrifice?" Hermione suggested.

"Love?" Ginny hoped.

"He took your blood." Neville added.

"All of them." Luna answered.

"Ok, so I need to get the ring and wand." Harry didn't even blink, "But I can't take possession of the wand because Volde needs to try to kill me with it. Everything else is already in place."

"You need to work on Occlumency." Hermione pointed out.

"Not really." Harry stated, "I can't block him out but he can't read my mind or intentions. All he could ever do was send me nightmares."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"If he could have he would have." Luna said from behind her upside down quibbler.

"True." Ron agreed.

"What about Snape and Dumbledore?" Hermione argued.

"I'm ready for Snape." Harry grinned evilly, "Dumbledore is another problem. However, he does ignore me all year. Hopefully by the time he tries to read my mind it will be all over."

"So are we going to drive the toad insane or what?" Ron asked.

"We'll wait until I get my first detention. When she uses a blood quill then we can take her down." He agreed.

"Why wait?" Ginny asked slightly aggravated.

"Can't punish her for a crime she hasn't committed." He said, "When we do punish her, and we will, it will be way over the top for just one incidence of torture."

"That is a good idea." Hermione agreed, "However, we could just get the aurors there to catch her using a quill on someone then they'll have to arrest her and she won't be able to suggest that idiotic marriage law. I know she really just wanted to squash the light side people. How our people could be so blind as to agree to the lunacy I'll never know. She should have gone to Azkaban for her Muggleborn Registration Act."

"I agree, totally, and now with us all as light side she won't have anyone to force us to marry." Harry grinned.

"Are they?" Hermione questioned, "Are they on the light side or are they going to turn us over before we get a chance to finish him off?"

"They're light or the elves wouldn't have sent them." Luna sighed putting down her Quibbler, "Elves can't do dark magic. They can't send back young death eaters to stop us from killing Volde, they can only do extraordinary magic when they're working with extraordinary light wizards and witches."

"So we're trusting Malfoy." Ron sighed.

"And Zabini, Greengrass and all the others who came with us." Harry said, "We'll need to get in touch with those not still at Hogwarts. Oliver won't be easy to contact but I don't think I'll send the elves again."

"No I think that will scare them to death." Luna giggled, "You already drug them back in time once by using the elves."


	2. Chapter 2

The group endured the beginning of the year feast with Umbridge's comments. But they already knew the woman was going to be trouble with a capital T.

"Thank you all for coming." Harry addressed the group in the room later that evening, "First off, I can't tell you how sorry I am that we all got sent back like this."

"Actually this is great." one of the younger Ravenclaw girls stated, "My brother got mauled and killed this year during Christmas, now I can prevent it. Thank you so much."

"My aunt got killed summer after our fifth year." Susan Bones added, "I'm going to see if I can get that stopped."

"None of us are really mad." Draco addressed him next, "I didn't get marked until next summer. This time I won't do it even if I have to run away and hide."

"Hopefully we can end this before then. My overall plan includes making sure I can off Volde when we get to the ministry next spring." He offered, "The details aren't there yet but that's the goal."

"Are we telling anyone outside the group?" Padma Patil asked.

"Not at this point." Harry replied, "However if you have a good reason to do so please tell us and we can take a vote on it."

"Have you got a plan to stop Umbridge?" Dean asked, "I really hate her."

"We are working on it. First I have to wait to get detention then we'll begin to dismantle her position." Harry grinned, "For now everyone needs to lay low and try to do the same work in classes that you did before. Our position will be blown sky high if we suddenly get a jump in grades."

"Didn't think about that." Seamus muttered.

"Second, we can't let Voldemort or any death eaters know we are from the future." Harry stated sharply, "He would take you and torture you for any information you had so again keep a low profile the same way you did last time."

"But Harry you didn't keep a low profile last time." Luna pointed out.

"I will for a while but we've got to find a way to out Umbridge and I don't want anyone else to have to go through her detentions." He shuddered, "In case you didn't know she sets lines and makes you use a blood quill."

"But that's illegal!" Susan stood with a furious expression.

"I'm well aware of that now and we will get her for it." Harry said, "But she has to do it first."

"You had to have ended up with a scar." Susan declared angrily, "You had far too many lines not to have."

The group broke up and left in smaller groups since it was after curfew. Harry also had Neville ask the room to let them out near their common room doors. The next morning started off well enough but when he got down stairs it changed up a bit. During breakfast the twenty seven people not still at Hogwarts sent Harry letters.

"What is the meaning of this?" Umbridge stomped down from the table glaring at the stack of letters.

"Just people asking my opinion about Voldemort's return." Harry smiled innocently, "They want to know why I think he's back, or they want to tell me they believe me over the lies in the prophet. It's been happening quite regularly."

"Detention!" she yelled.

"Madam Umbridge." Hermione addressed the woman, "You can't give detention for receiving mail. He is only expressing what the letters say."

"Both of you have detention this evening after dinner." She marched out of the hall. No other teacher moved for several seconds. Dumbledore wasn't even in the hall.

"Well I never." McGonagall finally came out of her shock and started towards the door. As she passed them she said, "You two do not have detention."

"Professor, wait." Harry jumped up and followed her, "We want detention with her. We want to see how far the Ministry is willing to go in its attacks on me. The letters were just from friends who left school in the last few years. They just want to see how I'm doing after the tournament and after the dementor attack and all. We said that to get her riled up."

"Mr. Potter." She whispered back, "I don't think you want to do that. The ministry is not a good place for a youngster to play around like this. She could do all sorts of things."

"Like what?" Harry asked, "Can she pull me from school and put me in Azkaban? Can she take my trust vault? What can she do?"

"She has the full backing of the ministry for any punishment. She'll advertise in the Prophet every time you do something wrong and they'll print it. The smear campaign will only continue to get worse. You need to lay low." She encouraged.

"After this punishment we will." He promised.

She didn't like it but thought he might learn his lesson quickly if she just let it slide, "Come tell me what kind of punishment she gives you."

"Fine." Harry grinned he wanted to see how she would react to this but he didn't think she'd be finding out anytime soon.

The two walked on and continued their chat until they reached her classroom which happened to be his first class. He found the seat he normally used and sat waiting for his friends to arrive with his bag. He knew they'd bring it with all the letters stuffed inside. Later when he was safely in his dorm room, along with several others who came back, they began to read and respond to the letters. No one asked straight out what happened and they all received the same reply.

"I'm positive the first Hogsmeade visit was in two weeks." Hermione answered the question again as they wrote replies.

"We can't meet at the Hogshead." Ron reminded Harry as the rest were busy.

"I know I'm going to suggest the cave." Harry said, "Now all I need to know is what to tell them when we meet."

"Talk to Luna about it." Ginny advised.

"After detention." He agreed, "Can you have her in that room just down to the right of our portrait. If we aren't back make sure Neville or Ron is with you when you walk her back to her common room."

"You don't think she'll keep you for four hours do you?" she asked.

"Who knows?" Harry looked at his watch then turned and picked up Ginny's wrist to look at her watch, "I need a new watch, Mione, time to go."

"I hate detentions." She grumbled.

"I didn't ask you to join me." He grinned as they left the room.

"If you think I was going to let you face her alone you're crazy." She mumbled.

"Thanks." He grinned.

Two hours later both left the DADA classroom with very sore hands. They hid them in their pockets when they saw McGonagall waiting for them not far from the door. At her questioning glance they looked at each other, Harry had convinced her to hide the true punishment.

"Lines." They stated together.

"Why did you look at each other first." She narrowed her eyes at them, "What are you hiding?"

"I had to write I must not tell lies." Harry said, "She says I'm lying about Voldemort being back."

"And you Miss Granger?" she lifted an eyebrow.

"I am not… worthy." Hermione whispered looking at her feet.

"Not worthy for what?" she asked.

"She doesn't like muggleborns." Hermione sighed deeply, "This is going to be a long year."

"Now you both know to stay away from her and keep your heads down." She sighed putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder, "Miss Granger, just so you know, not everyone thinks that way. Her opinion is just that hers and no one else's."

"Thanks Professor." Hermione managed to give her a small smile.

"Go on to your common room, curfew is in a couple hours." She grimaced at what the two of them had been through. It could have been worse, she thought, lines were relatively harmless.

The two of them made it to the room where they met Ginny, Neville, Ron, Luna and the twins. Harry lifted one eyebrow at George who sighed dramatically.

"I can't keep a secret from Fred." He stated.

"It isn't possible." Fred added, "We have a mind connection."

"You'll live this time." Harry promised.

"I know." He grinned, "I can't make George go through that again. And no lame holey George either, what were you thinking."

"Right so we got lines, mine were just like last time." Harry grimaced before he changed it to a grin and rubbed his hands together, "So operation squash the toad starts now."

"Really?" Neville looked skeptical, "I thought it would take more than a few lines to convince you to start right away. Wait what did she make Hermione write?"

"It was rather rude." Hermione shrugged, "I had to write I am not worthy."

"That sadistic cow." Ron yelled, standing and pulling Hermione into a hug, "She's the one not worthy."

"Thanks." Hermione whispered into his chest.

"Luna." Harry addressed his question about what to say to the others while Ron and Hermione were distracted.

They discussed their options for a while before they had to leave to get Luna back to Ravenclaw and still get back to Gryffindor on time. They went to bed shortly after returning because they had class the next morning. Breakfast still came too early for Harry. The nightmare about the long dark hall to the DOM had already begun and his sleep was being interrupted.

"I remember why I was so grumpy all this year." Harry whispered to Hermione before he put his head on the table, "No sleep, **his** emotions and blood quill detentions. How did I survive it again?"

"All the pleasant potions lessons?" she asked innocently, "They're first thing today."

Harry only grunted in response before he lifted his head and began to eat breakfast. He was eating morosely for several moments before he remembered his plan for the potions professor. That lightened his mood and he went about eating breakfast with a better outlook.

"What's got you in such a good mood now?" Hermione asked when she noticed the change.

"Potions first thing." He grinned.

"What are you planning?" Ron asked leaning forward in anticipation.

"I'll tell you after class." He grinned as he stood, "We have to go now or we'll be late."

Hermione and Ron grumbled as they stood to follow him out of the hall. Neville joined them a few moments later, "What's happening?"

"Remember what Harry said on the train?" Hermione asked but Neville's blank expression made her explain more, "About potions class?"

"Only that he had a plan." Neville shrugged not understanding their trepidation.

"We don't know what his plan is." She whispered.

"Who has a plan?" George asked popping up beside Ron and making him jump.

"Harry does." Neville answered as Fred popped up on his other side.

"No way, Harry never has a plan." Fred scoffed.

"He's a fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy." George nodded and tried to look wise, which just turned out comical.

"Shove off you two." Ron bumped his brother, "We have potions class."

"Oh you poor, poor souls." George pretended to cry dramatically, "We shall think fondly of you even though you are gone."

Harry turned into the potions corridor a few steps ahead of them while Fred and George split off another direction. The three Gryffindors caught up with Harry before he reached the room. All through potions they watched him and worked on their potions. None of them caught a thing and it seemed for all intents and purposes to be a normal class right up to the end. The group was packing but Harry didn't seem to be in any hurry. He motioned his friends to leave and they all sent him worried looks which he returned with a smile. They had reached the door when they heard Snape snarl.

"Potter get moving."

"I need to speak to you for a moment if you have the time." Harry addressed him respectably, "If you don't have time now I would like to make an appointment for later this evening."

"I don't have time to waste…" he began.

"I won't waste your time." Harry cut him off, "I've been doing a lot of thinking this last summer. Talks with Remus and Sirius were quite illuminating."

"GET OUT." Snape roared.

"Not before I apologize." He held up a hand that had the professor stop mid tirade, "I'm sorry my father and his freineds did so many mean things to you. I'm sorry you felt you had to retaliate to save face in your own dorm. I despise bullies more than I despise anything else in the world. I myself was bullied in my youth. "

"You haven't got a clue." Snape sneered.

"Haven't I?" he asked, "You do know where I grew up don't you?"

"No. I never cared to find out who was pampering…" he began.

"Petunia." Harry interrupted, "You remember my mother's sister don't you. Nasty shrieking harpy of a horse faced woman? Remus told me how she used to treat my mother. Let me tell you now, she hates me worse. Worse than her sister and worse than that Snape boy who lived down the street."

"How…" he stuttered.

"My mum told everything to my dad during their seventh year. He in turn told Sirius, they were planning on pranking her to make her pay for hurting mum." Harry smiled grimly, "They never got the chance and that's probably good for me."

"But…" Snape paused and looked at the boy's face.

"If you dare say they are family they wouldn't treat me that way I will hex you." Harry said seriously, "They never saw me as family I was only ever a servant to cater to their whims. I have no idea how the blood wards Dumbledore set are still active. That place has never been a home for me. A prison is all I'll ever view it as."

"That's all well and good but…" he was interrupted again.

"I'm not asking for your sympathy." Harry stated hold up his hands, "I just want you to know that I'm thankful for all the times you've been there to save my life. I didn't understand for a long time but I do now. Mum was your best friend until something happened and she turned to James Potter who was your hated enemy. I'm sure you see it as him stealing her. I am the spawn from that union and you can't like me. You are also a spy and can't let certain Slytherins think you are doing anything to help me. I don't think I could do what you accomplish every day. I don't like you and probably never will. However, I do respect you and your delicate position."

Snape offered no response at all so Harry continued, "If you want to give me detention for all this just be aware that Umbridge will probably take it from you so she can punish me more. I never thought I'd find someone who hated me more than you but there she is."

Snape actually let out a small laugh at that and waved the boy from the room. He didn't offer a pass to the next class though and Harry arrived at charms nearly fifteen minutes late.

"Mr. Potter?" Flitwick glanced up as he arrived.

"Sorry I was held up." He answered giving no other explanation.

"Five points from Gryffindor." He frowned but Harry only nodded in acceptance.

"Do you think it did any good?" Hermione asked when he explained to his friends later that evening; they were back in the same empty classroom.

"I think it will." Harry grinned, "Although we may not see the results before the war has ended."

The group of friends talked for a while before they broke up and each headed in their own direction. Ron followed Hermione to the Library. Neville walked Luna back to Ravenclaw and the twins headed off to find mischief. Soon it was only Harry and Ginny left in the old classroom.

"Listen." Harry started, "I don't know if I'll be any good at it with all that's going on this year. Add to that the fact that we don't know if I'll live or die. Anyway what I'm trying to ask is will you be my girlfriend?"

She didn't offer any words of answer she just leaned forward and sealed their lips together. It was past curfew before the two returned to the common room hand in hand. Dean spotted them and moved to meet them at the couch.

"No fair, I was supposed to date her first." He whispered between their heads, humor was evident in his voice though.

"You've had a chance to ask for the last couple of days." Harry chuckled quietly, "Not my fault you're too slow."

The three of them laughed for a moment before Dean moved back to Seamus. Harry and Ginny stayed cuddled on the couch until they heard two voices say loudly, "I believe him!"

Harry glanced over the back of the couch to find Dean and Seamus glaring at Cormac McLaggen just in time to see the boy open his mouth, "How can you believe that rubbish? You Know Who died fourteen years ago."

"You can't even say his name." Dean pointed out, "If he was really dead and gone you shouldn't have trouble saying it."

"Is he really back?" one of the younger years asked.

"Yes!" Dean said at the same time Cormac said, "No!"

"Harry can you clear this up?" Seamus called and every eye turned to him.

"I won't give the details because they'll give you nightmares." Harry explained, "But I did see him get a body back. They used a dark spell that took a bone from his father's grave, my blood and some flesh from one of his followers. He now has a body but he looks more like a snake than a human."

"You gave blood to him?" one of the younger kids looked kind of sick.

"I didn't offer it." Harry explained, "I was tied up and it was taken, forcibly. That was part of the spell, blood of the enemy forcibly taken."

"What was the flesh part?" Cormac asked.

"I really shouldn't say in front of the younger kids. It's graphic and horrible." Harry stated.

"We want to know." One of the second years demanded.

"No." Fred stepped in, "No you don't. I know and wish I didn't. Harry doesn't want to relive this over and over. You either believe him or you don't. Whatever your personal feelings are just keep them to yourself. As a house we should be supporting one of our own."

"Remember the heir of Slytherin, that wasn't Harry. Remember his name in the cup, that wasn't Harry either." George gave some evidence, "Harry hasn't lied to you in the past and he's not doing it now."

At that moment Hedwig arrived at the window to the common room and Harry jumped up to retrieve the letter. He read it quickly before stuffing it into his pocket and running up the stairs. Ginny followed after him and found him pulling his invisibility cloak out of his trunk.

"He wants to meet you now?" she asked.


	3. Chapter 3

"Yes, you want to come along?" he asked grinning madly.

"I think it would probably be a good idea." She smiled back at him, "Can't let you get into trouble all by yourself now can we."

"We won't get caught." He pulled the map out next and tapped it, "Right Umbridge is in detention with… make that on a date with Filch. Yuk bad mental image."

"They're probably talking about chaining up unruly children." Ginny shuddered, "I suppose both would think that a perfect date."

"Come on we need to get going." He began to throw the cloak over her.

"Wait. I'll head out and you can follow me outside. If no one's around I can slip under if they are we'll head to the empty classroom off to the right." She explained, "This way I can get the twins to cover for us."

"Good idea, I'll be right behind you." He pulled the cloak on and followed her down the stairs.

George was at the bottom and Ginny whispered to him, "We have a mission, cover for us."

He nodded and waited until she was at the portrait hole before he proclaimed loudly, "Fred I've had the most wonderful idea."

No one noticed Ginny hold the door a little longer to let Harry out. After a quick stop in the kitchens for a picnic basket they headed out again. Before she knew it the two of them were out the door and walking towards the quidditch pitch. Although she began to worry when he went right past it and headed towards the whomping willow.

"Harry?" she began to balk as they neared the violent tree.

"Watch and learn." He grinned and pulled his wand out. A stick under the tree jumped off the ground and touched a spot on the base of the tree and to her shock the tree stopped moving, "Secret passage to the Shrieking shack."

"Very clever." She chuckled, "How long have you known about this?"

"End of third year." He shrugged and led the way to the most haunted building in Britain.

"Snuffles?" Harry called out into the house.

They were met with a wand, "Patronus spell."

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry declared before slowly pulling his wand and producing his patronus.

"Ok, what's going on?" Sirius asked taking a seat on the floor.

Harry handed him the picnic basket before conjuring a blanket for him and Ginny, "Well…"

"That's a deep subject." Ginny giggled when Harry couldn't seem to figure out how to talk to the man. He gave her a quick grin in thanks before he started.

"A week ago I was eighteen and I had killed Moldyshorts just a few months before that." Harry said thankful that Ginny had broken the ice, "Thanks to the Hogwarts house elves seventy five of us were sent back in time three years."

"Really." Sirius paused before taking a bite, "I don't know what to say to that."

"Me either." Harry chuckled, "Twenty seven are already out of Hogwarts. I would also like you to find someplace to hide other than your mother's house and stay away until the war is over."

"Why?" Sirius was genuinely concerned by that statement.

"Last time at the end of my fifth year you were killed by Bellatrix." Harry glared at the blanket he was sitting on, "I don't want to take the chance that it will happen again."

"Oh, yes let's not let that happen again." Sirius nodded in agreement, "There really isn't any place else to stay safely."

"We'll keep thinking about it Harry." Ginny hugged him, "We'll find a place."

"Ok, so back up a minute, we got a bit off subject. Why did you get sent back in time if you had already defeated Moldy?" Sirius asked politely.

"Well the day we left we were supposed to have a meet and greet with our new fiancés that the ministry pick out." Harry explained, "They had matched up each light witch and wizard with a dark witch or wizard. Ginny got matched with Draco Malfoy."

"And you would prefer to marry her yourself." Sirius stated with a knowing smirk.

"I had a ring all picked out." Harry smirked back, "However I was matched with Pansy Parkinson."

"She was the girl who tried to give him over to Voldemort before the battle." Ginny growled, "There is no way that I am going to let that hag touch him."

"So you asked the elves to send you back in time?" he asked.

"No, they asked what they could do to help and I said unless you can turn back time I don't think there is much you can do." Harry explained, "Next thing we know we're on the train to Hogwarts three years in the past."

"Merlin Harry." Sirius swore.

"Right so do you think you can go someplace safe for a year or so?" he asked, "Preferably someplace that will help you get the trial they never gave you?"

"Outside of the ICW I don't know who else can force them to give me a trial." Sirius shrugged.

"I wonder why Dumbledore didn't do anything about it when he was still head of the ICW." Ginny was thoughtful.

"Good question Gin." Harry hugged her, "I wonder if he still has any contacts?"

"He always has contacts." Sirius grimaced, "The issue is whether or not he'll use those contacts."

"Without that where can you go?" Harry asked.

"We will need in his mother's house at some point though." Ginny reminded him.

"No we can get around that too." Harry stated then turned back to Sirius, "Call Kreacher we need him to get something from your house."

"What kind of thing?" he asked after tossing the third chicken leg he'd finished off to the side and digging back into the basket.

"It's a locket that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin. Moldy made it a Horcrux and he can't die until it can be destroyed." Harry explained.

At the word Horcrux Sirius paused in his search of the basked, "Say that again."

"The locket is a Horcrux." Harry dug in his pocket and pulled out a bag and then opened it, "This is the tooth of a basilisk it can destroy the thing."

Sirius pulled his wand and sent a spell at the tooth, "Do I want to know where my Godson got a class three dark object at the age of fifteen?"

"Chamber of Secrets." Harry grinned crookedly, "I killed the basilisk when I was twelve so I felt justified in reusing some of the corpse."

"Ok then. Kreacher." He called and the elf popped in.

"What does Mistress's bad son want with a good house elf like Kreacher?" he croaked.

"Listen to him and do what he tells you." Sirius pointed at Harry and went back to searching the basket.

"I need you to get me Regulas' locket. I'm going to destroy it and you can watch." Harry instructed the elf. Kreacher stood very still for several moments before Harry finally added more to the instructions, "Go straight there and come straight back. No other stops don't talk to anyone else, don't let anyone see you."

With a slight jump the elf hurried to obey and was back handing the locket to Harry and watching him with big eyes.

"I have to speak some parseltongue to do this so don't be alarmed." Harry readied the tooth for a quick stab and told the locket to open. A few seconds later the second Horcrux was dead and Kreacher left.

Sirius ran his wand over the object and cheered, "Well done, so now old Moldy can die."

"Not quite." Harry interrupted his party and made him look up sharply, "We have four left before we can kill the last piece that's currently hanging out in the shell he created last spring."

"Sh… shoot." Sirius glanced at Ginny as he corrected his language, "Where are they? What are they?"

"One is in the school I can get it without any problem." Harry shrugged, "The other three… are going to be difficult. There is a ring hidden in a shack that once belonged to Moldy's family. It has horrendous dark magic guarding it. In my original time line it killed Dumbledore."

"Merlin." Sirius sat back, "Are the other two easier?"

"No." Harry grinned at his shock, "One is in Gringotts and one is the snake that Moldyshorts carries around. The good news is that there aren't a lot of extra protections around those two."

"How do you want to handle this then?" he asked, "Because I am not going to go hide out while you're hunting these things. Let the Order help you."

"I'm not telling Dumbledore anything." Harry stated, "At least not until I have to. I don't want you to go after any of them alone. I need to go with you to get the ring but we should also have Moody and possibly Bill Weasley too."

"I can get Moody." Sirius stated.

Ginny looked at him sharply, "Sirius you are the only adult outside of the time travelers who knows about this. In fact most of the time travelers don't know about this part."

"I won't tell Moody anything." He responded, "You'll get that joy along with explaining why you want to keep Dumbledore out of it. So tell me how Reg got a hold of a Horcrux."

Harry wanted to collapse on his bed instead of going to classes. They'd been up until three talking to Sirius. He had let them sleep for a few hours before he woke them up and sent them back to the school. Now it was the last class of the day and it was not a good one.

"Detention Mr. Potter." Umbridge declared, "No sleeping in class."

"Why not we don't learn anything." Seamus muttered.

"And you will be joining him Mr. Finnegan." She trilled, "I will be speaking to your head of house."

"I thought you were going to keep a low profile." McGonagall growled when she found him later in the common room.

"Sorry Professor." He yawned, "I couldn't sleep last night and reading that primary book in class just put me out like a light. I really was trying."

"Why aren't you sleeping?" she looked at him critically, "Do you need a potion?"

"Not tonight." He mumbled avoiding the first question, "I am going for a pepper up before dinner though."

"You look like you need it." She observed dryly, "Also ask for a sleeping potion."

"Harry, tell her." Hermione stepped up to him as he followed McGonagall from the common room, "Tell her or I will."

"What?" McGonagall looked between the two of them and noticed Harry shake his head.

"She can get Kingsley here in time for it." She insisted, "It wouldn't be elaborate but she'd be caught."

"Ms. Granger, explain yourself." McGonagall demanded.

"In your office please." Hermione requested.

"Knock yourself out I'm going to get a pepper up potion." Harry waved them off, "Later Minnie."

"Did he just…" the Professor looked scandalized.

"He really is tired." Hermione sighed in frustration and followed Minerva to her office.

Harry and Seamus sat side by side writing their lines in their own blood. It was quiet in the room and they had been writing for a few minutes. The quiet didn't last long when Dumbledore, McGonagall and Pomfrey burst in the door.

"What are you doing in my office?" Umbridge screamed, "Out, this is an invasion of privacy."

"No it's an arrest." Kingsley removed the invisibility cloak and quickly disarmed and arrested her. He had been in the room the whole time.

"Professor Umbridge you are fired for torturing students." Dumbledore stated, "Blood quills are illegal and their use on a minor is finable with up to ten years imprisonment per instance of torture."

"I've written about two hundred lines and each one was torture." Harry offered, "Each line was five words so is that one thousand instances of torture?"

"At this point it doesn't matter." Kingsley smiled, "Forty years for four detentions or two thousand years for each letter, either way its life for her."

"You can't do this." Umbridge was still thrashing and screaming, "I am the Undersecretary for the Minister, Cornelius will not stand for this."

"Does he know you're using blood quills?" Harry asked innocently.

"Of course he does." She huffed, "He isn't stupid. And when he hears of this you will lose your job Mr. Shacklebolt."

"I don't think so." Kingsley laughed, "He may, however, lose his."

The next morning's headlines in the Prophet caused much cheering at the school. Seamus was so excited he pinned the front page to the door of the Great Hall. As students entered they were able to read about Umbridge and Fudge being arrested for using and condoning the use of illegal objects of torture on students in detention. Not one single mention of Harry on the front page. However on the third page someone did ask the question wondering if Fudge was lying about You Know Who being back. There was another cheer in the hall when Dumbledore cancelled classes for the day.

"Hermione, do you remember that article in fifth year we had published in the Quibbler?" he asked.

"Already done writing it and Luna has sent it to her father." She grinned, "I thought of that last night. The paper comes out tomorrow."

"I need to talk to Draco." He whispered.

"You can't just…" Hermione started.

"I know I can't." he said then whispered again, "I think I need to get Snape to give us both detention."

"That might work." She agreed, "How will you get it? Start a fight?"

"No that won't work. I want to talk to him not get a real detention." Harry noticed Snape leave the head table and he jumped up, "I probably won't be back for a while."

Harry met the professor in the entry way and followed him into his office, "What now Potter?"

"I need to speak to Draco without everyone finding out about it." He said, "Something is about to happen and he needs to prepare himself."

"I had no idea you cared." The man sneered at him.

"Please Professor." Harry asked, "He needs to be forewarned."

"What about?" Snape leaned on his desk and crossed his arms.

"Will you set up a privacy spell at the door please?" Snape complied and turned back Harry, "Umbridge and Fudge, as you know, were arrested. Tomorrow the Quibbler will be running an interview with me talking about what happened in the graveyard and who I saw. With Fudge out the Aurors will go after the names on the list. Namely Lucius Malfoy. Draco may want to get his mother out of there before Volde makes her life harder than it already is."

"You do realize he is living in their home." Snape sneered again.

"All the more reason to give Draco the option to get her out of his clutches." Harry said, "I don't know how their security works but could the house elves kick everyone out and lock the place down tight?"

A knock on the door stopped the conversation. Snape went to the door, then stepped back and allowed Draco to enter. The other boy stopped a few steps in and lifted an eyebrow at Harry before glancing towards Snape.

"He knows a few things." Harry offered, "I think we should bring him in on it all."

"Are you sure?" Draco asked.

"Yes, I trust him." Harry nodded.

"This is all well and good but…" Snape started but stopped when Draco put several privacy and locking spells on the door before turning and heading to the front of the room.

"Are we going to tell him everything?" Draco asked.

"You may even learn a thing or two." Harry grinned, "Snakes treating you the same?"

"Yes it's easy." Draco took the desk beside Harry's, "Blaise said the hardest part is not laughing at some of the stupidity hanging around. I can't believe we were so blind to not see the man is a complete lunatic it seems so… evident now."

"Hind sight is perfect." Harry stated, "Professor?"

"Sorry, just a bit of shock. When did you two stop fighting?" Snape moved back to his desk, "What is going on?"

"Three years in the future…" Draco began the tale and both boys tried not to laugh at the professors shocked face. The conversation lasted several hours and Harry made sure to inform Draco of the new information, "I really wish I could save father too. I know I can't, he won't change his view until he is forced to. He won't be forced to if he doesn't spend time in Azkaban."

"There is one more thing I need done." Harry turned to his professor, "I need his snake killed."

"What?" Snape asked.

"Now?" Draco asked at the same time.

"We're both dead if we don't." he answered with as much information as he could give. He still didn't trust the two of them completely he realized.

"The snake is coming after you?" Draco asked, "I didn't know it did that. I thought it was after Weasley when Longbottom got it."

"It was trying to get past him to get me." Harry explained, "We really need it killed if we can. DO NOT let the snake see you. Voldemort will know if the snake knows so be very careful."

"I have no wish to die Potter." He sneered again.

"The snake killed you last time." Draco huffed, "Don't underestimate it."

"It wasn't quite like that Draco." Harry put a hand on his shoulder, "Volde was keeping it in a magical cage, he basically dropped the cage on Snape and told Nagini to kill him. He couldn't have protected himself from it. And I couldn't get there in time to save him."

"But this time we can." Draco nodded, "So kill the snake."

Harry nodded and glanced at his professor, "You ok Professor?"

"Wonderful." The man sighed, "I need to let Dumbledore…"

"No." Harry stopped that train of thought in its tracks, "He can't know not until it's finished."

"Why not?" Draco asked for both Slytherins.


	4. Chapter 4

"If we go to him telling him we are from the future and have come back to correct his mistakes, what do you think he will do?" Harry asked pointedly, "He'd obliviate us to keep us from messing up his plans or he would have us arrested for meddling in time! If he did listen to us he'd still head off on his own and try to fix it by himself and get himself killed again!"

"All this because you don't want to marry Parkinson?" Snape asked.

"No, that was the start of it. But I want to save lives while we do this." He explained, "I want to have a godfather, a mentor and a potions professor when all is said and done. I want all my friends and I want my own godson to grow up with his parents and all of his grandparents. I want both twins alive and I want to walk away from all this actually feeling like we won."

"Tell me which of my snakes know about this?" Snape asked.

"Blaise, myself, Daphne and Astoria." Draco listed the names, "The rest didn't want to be a part of it in case it failed. Of course none of us knew we would be drug back here to do this again."

"Your grades are no better than last year." The Professor glared at him.

"If they had jumped for any of us you would have been suspicious." Harry explained, "We are trying to keep a low profile, but we can't do it alone. You have always been an important part of the light side. Oh, one more thing."

Snape raised an eyebrow, "Just one?"

"The prophecy can only be pulled off the shelf by either me or Volde." He explained, "I'd rather Volde not know until he has to. But the order members don't need the injuries that will happen."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"That was found out when one of the DOM workers told someone later in the year." Harry said, "It's why Volde ended up using a vision of him torturing Sirius to get me to the ministry. Of course Dumbles never bothered to tell me anything so I fell for it." He paused for a moment before changing subjects, "I know you don't like Sirius and I know you have good reason. But he has spent twelve years in Azkaban, do you think that is enough punishment for all he did to you."

"I won't become his friend." Snape growled, "But I can be civil as long as he does."

"Good enough." He said, "Now you guys have some work to do so I'll leave you to it."

"How did your meeting go the other night?" Draco asked before he reached the door.

"Sirius is fine and ready to help." Harry grinned as he unlocked the door, "Although he doesn't know he has to be best friends with Professor Snape yet."

He left quickly before Snape could say anything. Harry made his way out of the dungeon but didn't get far before he was waylaid. The twins had been waiting on him.

"I thought we were going to have some fun with the toad?" they asked together.

"Blame Hermione she's the one that told Minnie." Harry waved them off, "I was too tired last night to stop them."

"What are we going to do now?" Fred asked.

"We didn't make any plans so we could have the day free." George added.

"We could work on some inventions." Harry suggested, "I need to get Ginny then we could meet you in the ROR in about twenty minutes?"

"You have some ideas?" they grinned rubbing their hands together.

"I have a few but Ginny has more." He left them to go find his girlfriend.

"Then by all means bring our lovely sister along." The agreed together.

They met outside the room and George began to pace. Harry stopped him, "Wait, I have another job to do first then we can do prank planning."

"What?" George asked and moved away so Harry could pace.

Once inside the twins gaped at the room full of junk. It was Fred who moved first, "Just think of the possibilities of using stuff in here for pranks."

"Focus." Ginny smacked his arm, "We have to find the diadem and then you can scavenge."

"Ravenclaw's diadem was in here?" George asked.

"Is in here." Harry started, "Ginny take Fred and keep him on task. I know it's in this general area."

"How general of an area?" Fred asked.

"Between here and the wall that is somewhere off that direction." Harry pointed to the left, "Look for a bust of an ugly warlock and it will be somewhere near it."

"Very specific." George grumbled, "Shouldn't take us more than six months to locate it."

"Harry, try to concentrate. When you came to hide your book which direction did you go first?" Ginny prodded.

"Left." He stated and moved that direction. They searched for quite a while when Harry spotted a few brooms, "Should have brought mine, it might have gone faster."

"Why not use these?" George asked.

"Yea alright." Harry didn't really like the idea of using those brooms again.

He grabbed one and began to lift off with George right behind him. When they reached the top of the pile near them George moved off to find Fred and Ginny to offer the same idea to them. But they had also found brooms and they were just topping a pile of junk.

"Great minds think alike." George grinned.

"That's right. Harry and I do have great minds." Ginny grinned.

"I've found it." Harry called and the trio turned toward where he yelled but he wasn't in sight.

"Where are you?" George asked.

Harry shot off sparks and the three of them moved his direction. He already had the tooth out and was stabbing it just as they reached him. He mounted his broom and they took off for the door. Once outside George paced again and they re-entered and began their prank planning session.

"So what did you have in mind?" Fred asked when they all took seats on the two couches that appeared. A writing table sat in front of the twins couch.

"Battle pranks." Ginny told them, "Something to keep the death eaters too busy to kill us."

"We're thinking your portable swamps might slow them down when they first arrive." Harry said, "Then a few new surprises to keep them off kilter. Sentries not only to let us know bad guys are there but to put up some resistance too. We also want to get rid of the spiders or at least cut their numbers way back and something to take a giant down or at least make him pause."

"I would like to see you develop something that will freeze anyone with a dark mark." Ginny added, "Hit them where they are weakest. Next I want you to see about automating the gargoyles on the building. I don't know why they aren't part of the castles defense."

"They may be and the knowledge to activate them is lost." Harry offered.

"Maybe we can work on that part." She shrugged, "Last but not least, get with Neville and see if you can alter any plants to obey orders. A venomous tentacula who could attack on command would be cool."

"Wow, that's a lot." George looked thoughtful, "Ok, one thing at a time. Portable swamps were not made until later this year. We developed that solely for Umbridge."

"Really?" Harry asked, "Why a swamp?"

"Toads live in swamps." Fred grinned.

"Point." Harry conceded with a grin, "So can you develop them early?"

"Yes no problem I know how we did it and I'm sharing that with Fred later tonight." George waved him off, "The sentries though, that's going to be tough. Getting rid of the spiders may be a Ron and Hermione job more than us. However once they know how to get rid of them we'll do it. I don't think Ron would like to go near the nest."

"Not again." Harry sighed.

"What?" George asked.

"What?" Harry asked bewildered.

"You said not again." Fred pointed out.

"Oh, yes Ron and I had a run in with them back in second year." Harry shook his head, "Hagrid sent us to talk to them to find out about the basilisk. If it hadn't been for your dad's car we would never have made it out alive. I thought he already told you about this?"

"We thought he exaggerated." George shrugged, "You really went into the nest and talked to a spider the size of the knight bus?"

"Yes about that size." Harry agreed, "He gets sick and dies next year. Just be sure that Hagrid doesn't find out we're trying to kill them off. He thinks their marvelous creatures that are just misunderstood. However, I think they really were planning on eating us just like they said they were."

"I'm hungry." Ginny interrupted their conversation, "Dinner isn't for another hour. Who is up for a kitchen run?"

"I thought we were planning?" Harry argued.

"You didn't even eat lunch." She stood and tugged his arm.

"Let's go." The twins agreed and they all drug Harry from the room and headed down to the kitchens, "You're too scrawny to miss any meals."

Harry huffed but let himself be forced to the kitchens. However when they arrived he got a shock.

"Master Harry!" Nearly all the elves stopped working and turned and bowed to him.

"Uhhh." Harry looked wide eyed at the others who shrugged back at him.

"Harry Potter Sir has you come to visit Dobby?" the excitable elf popped up next to him.

"Hi Dobby." Harry teetered at the unexpected flashback, "We were just looking for a snack."

The elves quickly gathered enough snacks for twenty people and placed it in front of the teens. Another elf asked, "Is you needing anything else?"

"Umm… why do you keep calling me master?" He finally asked.

"You have been recognized by the castle." Babble the elf that had sent them all back in time was the one to approach and explain, "You've reached your magical majority and the castle knows it."

"Has it told anyone else?" he asked.

"Just the ghosts." Babble answered, "We knows you've been sent back by us you has our magics on you."

"Can anyone else sense your magic on us?" Ginny asked.

"No." he replied.

All this time Dobby was standing by them wringing his hands and Harry acknowledged this, "Are you ok Dobby?"

"Dobby be wondering why you came back." He looked up into the eyes of his idol.

"We made some mistakes the first time." Harry sighed, "We wanted to correct all of those mistakes. And the first one I want to correct is Winky. Is she still here?"

Dobby pointed to the dirty little elf curled up by the fire with a butter beer bottle in her hand. When he turned back around he had tears in his eyes, "She's sick."

"Can you rouse her for me?" he asked. Dobby came back with the elf a few seconds later, "Winky?"

"Yessmm." She slurred.

"I want you to be one of my house elves. But before I do you must get better." She perked up when he made his offer.

"Yous not wanting me. I's a bad elf." She started to cry.

"No you were mistreated." Harry stated, "Do you want to be a free elf and get paid like Dobby or do you want to be owned."

"I's hating being free." She scrubbed her face with her hand.

"You get better and get cleaned up and I'll take you as my elf." He made his offer.

She nodded then snapped her fingers and she was clean and sober and ready to bond. Her dress already had the Potter coat of arms on the front. Dobby was rather misty eyed as he witnessed her change. The other elves all nodded in approval.

"How do we do this?" Harry asked Babble.

"It's done." Babble shrugged, "As soon as she met your requirements the bond was set."

"Ok, good." Harry turned to Dobby, "Dobby I want to hire you away from Hogwarts. I'll pay you double what Dumbledore is paying you and I'll give you a day off a week."

"No, I want to bond too." Dobby said, "I liked being free from bad master but I'd rather be your elf."

"But…" Harry started but realized what he had seen on his face when Winky had gotten bonded, "Ok, as you wish. You may wear whatever you want. If you want to keep the socks and things you already own then feel free to wear them at any time. Winky if there is anything you wish to wear you may do the same. For the time being I would like you to go work at Sirius' house. Do I need to tell you the secret?"

"No we knows about all places yous will inherit." Dobby and Winky answered together.

"Places?" Harry asked.

"You's be having seven properties that yous be owning." Dobby stated.

"Several are in bad shapes." Winky nodded sagely.

"I'm aware of Godric's Hollow and Sirius' place." Harry nodded, "Any others?"

"Potterhall in Scotland, the Black Palace in Germany, an island in the Caribbean, a flat in London, a vacation home in Italy and Hogwarts." Dobby gave the list.

"Ok." Harry rubbed his hands over his face, "How many of them are from Sirius?"

"The Black Palace." Winky answered.

"Ok, Dobby would you take a note to Sirius for me?" he asked.

"Yes Dobby can do that." He nodded and his bat like ears wiggled.

George handed him a quill and parchment and he quickly jotted down the information about Winky and Dobby and the place they had told him about. He asked if they should come to his place to help clean or if he should send them to the palace to get it prepared for him.

"Stay and wait for his answer please. Do not give this to his house elf and ignore him if he says anything rude." Harry instructed. He then turned back to Babble, "Sorry about holding you off. Tell me about this Hogwarts thing."

"You have been recognized by the castle." He said again.

"Recognized as what?" he asked.

"The heir of three Founders." Babble explained finally, "Gryffindor and Hufflepuff by birth and Slytherin by conquest."

"But he's not dead here yet." Harry argued.

"You destroyed his body fifteen years ago." The elf pointed out, "That was enough."

"He has a body again." Harry wasn't willing to give up.

"But there is no Slytherin left." He shook his head, "Bone of his muggle father, flesh from worthless rabble and your blood. Blood of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff but no more Slytherin."

"Fine so I own three quarters of Hogwarts." He gave in.

"No you own it all." He corrected, "There is no Ravenclaw heir."

Harry dropped his face in his hands before he looked up again, "What kind of responsibilities does that give me?"

"You have already corrected the first and biggest problem." Sir Nick floated in through the wall followed by three other ghosts.

"Umbridge." He stated.

"Correct." He nodded.

"You will be expected to correct any mistakes like that." The Bloody Baron spoke making three of the four teens shudder, "You have also taken care of the second problem."

"Which is that?" George asked.

"The jinx on the defense job." Helena answered, "It was on the diadem, when you cleansed it you destroyed the jinx."

"Way to go Harry, now we can get a good professor at last." Fred cheered.

"But we have no way to get rid of another bad one." George shook his head.

"Harry can get rid of them." Ginny grinned, "He owns Hogwarts."

"I don't know if it works that way." Harry shook his head.

"Actually it does." The fat friar grinned cheekily.

"So I can say move Snape to defense and hire Slughorn for potions?" Harry asked.

"If they accept." Helena answered.

"What about the Headmaster?" Harry asked, "Isn't he in charge of all that?"

"Not if you don't like his choices." She replied.

"I can get rid of Binns?" he asked.

"No." the teens grumbled as Nick grinned, "But you can move the class to another room and hire someone else."

"Why hasn't anyone thought of that before?" Harry wondered aloud.

"We have suggested it several times to the Headmaster but he has chosen to ignore Hogwarts." The Baron growled.

"Again with the ignoring details." Harry hummed, "I'm beginning to see a pattern."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked.

"I was wondering the other night when we visited with Sirius why Dumbledore didn't get him a trial. As top dog in our Wizengamot and ICW surely he has enough pull to get it through." Harry pointed out, "Now he's blatantly ignoring good advice from Hogwarts. So my question is; is he old and senile or does he have some master plan that includes leaving Sirius hang and a ghost teaching us nothing."

"I vote for an evil master plan." George offered with a slight laugh.

"You don't seem all that shocked about owning Hogwarts." Fred said after the ghosts finished talking and left.

"This is Harry." Ginny pointed to him, "The guy that has all the weirdest stuff happen to him. You do remember his life up to this point?"

"Yes, but this is Hogwarts." Fred looked exasperated.

"We had prior warning." Harry waved him off, "The elves were calling me Master back in the other time line. I kind of suspected something like this. The Slytherin part blew me away though. I wonder if that's why the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin?"

"No way." Fred argued, "It couldn't have wanted to do that."

"That's what took so long. It keep saying you'll be great in Slytherin." He shook his head, "I keep saying no Volde was from there and I wanted no part of that."

"That's why it put you in Gryffindor." Ginny said, "You were brave enough to fight the hat."

Harry started laughing and shook his head at her antics, "You've got a lot of twin influence there."

"Of course." George grinned, "We trained this one right."

"We tried to train Ron but… that was just a mess." Fred shook his head.

"You went about it a little differently with Ron." Harry shook his head.

"We learned from that and taught Ginny right." George grinned.

Dobby returned with a message a few minutes later. His note was clear, "I'm not leaving you alone."

"Alright." Harry grinned, "Go to Sirius and make sure he is well taken care of."


	5. Chapter 5

With snacks finally finished the group headed out and went to the lake to relax in the crisp fall air. While they were out Hedwig landed at his side and pecked his hand.

"Hey girl how are you doing?" he asked. When she sent a glare at him and turned away he realized what was wrong, "Sorry girl but it was Dobby's first job you don't want to grudge him that do you?"

"She really gets her point across." George snickered.

"She's brilliant." Ginny smacked George and was awarded with rub from the birds head.

"Can all owls understand human speech or is she just special?" Harry asked, "Because I always thought she was special."

"I don't know about other owls understanding speech." Ginny shrugged, "But you've got a special bond with her that's for sure."

"I sure missed you." He reached over and pet the owl affectionately. Ginny joined him petting the owl for several minutes.

"Hogsmeade weekend tomorrow." Ron pointed out the next Friday night, "Who all is going with you?"

"Ginny and Luna." Harry answered and received frowns from Hermione and Ron, "I need you two to keep everyone from looking for us. If all three of us are gone…"

"Teachers will be going mad." Hermione agreed, "So what do we tell them?"

"I'm on a date with Ginny." He grinned, "And if anything happens you have the galleons ready."

"Which reminds me, I have twenty seven of them for you to give out tomorrow." She dug through her backpack and pulled out a sack and handed it over, "Don't forget."

"This should make things easier." Harry took the bag and dropped it in his pocket, "Any last minute advice?"

"Nothing you would remember." Hermione grinned cheekily at him.

Harry woke up the next morning in a good mood. They'd only been back in time two weeks and they already had two more horcruxes killed. With the book from second year they had three down and five to go if you counted both the one in his head and the one in Volde's shell. Harry didn't think the ring would be a problem, as least not like the cup and snake would be. He got up and got ready for the day and in no time at all he was meeting Oliver Wood and the other graduates in the cave outside Hogsmeade. After placing perimeter wards and security spells he began.

"I hope you all aren't furious with me." He cringed, "But we've been given an opportunity that I don't intend to waste."

"Good." Oliver was the first to speak, "I was hoping you were planning on killing off You Know Who as soon as possible. I lost several friends last time."

"Sorry about that." Harry nodded, "I am planning on being ready by the spring. He always did like to do a big production number at the end of school each year. This year was no different and I plan on being ready."

"Anything we can do to help?" another offered.

"Not so much at this time." Harry shrugged before pulling out the bag of coins, "However we do have something to offer you. Hermione made these. If you need to communicate quickly these coins will do it, everyone will see anything you put on this. If I need a meeting we will set a time and place and if it's inside Hogwarts you aren't required to attend."

"These are brilliant." Oliver saw the date and time for the meeting they were at, "You say Hermione made these?"

"Yes, she is brilliant." Luna spoke finally, "Just don't accidentally spend them as real galleons."

They stayed and visited for a while before they all felt their coins heat up. Harry looked at his and saw the message… MM L4 HP HB.

"What does that mean?" someone asked.

"Minerva McGonagall is looking for Harry Potter." Ginny explained, "Hurry back. That means we have to go."

"I hope our messages will be clearer than that." The same person commented.

"Keep in touch and keep your heads down." Harry instructed, "We don't want anyone to catch the interest of the death eaters. They'd just torture you to death."

"Ok." Most of the room replied.

"Are you going to follow your own advice?" Oliver asked.

"As much as I'm allowed to." Harry replied with a grin.

"Which means not at all." Oliver sighed.

"I never look for trouble." Harry huffed at him.

"Course not." Ginny grinned, "It finds you no matter where you try to hide."

"Even if it's just a cave outside Hogsmeade." Luna added, "We better hurry before it finds us."

The group made it as far as the road before that trouble caught up to them. The group hid behind the trees and bushes at the side when they heard the voices nearing them.

"How did you know Luna?" Oliver whispered.

"It's Harry we're talking about." Ginny answered for her, "That should be explanation enough."

"Oi." Harry hissed.

"Did you hear that?" a man on the road asked.

"I didn't hear anything." the next one shrugged.

"Must have been the wind." He agreed, "Now do you remember your part?"

"I'm not an idiot." The man responded, "I know what the Dark Lord told us to do."

"Repeat it for me so I'm sure." He prodded.

"We go in, grab one of Potter's friends." He laid it out, "When Potter gives up for them we take them both back so he can torture Potter by killing the friend. Then we get to break him in a bit."

"Well I'm surprised you got it right." The first one nodded, "Let's go."

"Wait I think you got it wrong." Luna stepped out.

"No I didn't." the man huffed, "It was just like the Dark Lord said."

"No I'm really sure you're wrong." She insisted, "I was there and he said to bring him back a Blibbering Humdinger."

"I don't remember that part do you Goyle?" the second man turned to the first.

"You aren't supposed to use names Crabbe." The first one thundered, "Now they know who we are, we better leave before the aurors come after us."

"Right." Goyle agreed and they both disappeared with a pop.

"Luna?" Harry left the bush and glared at the girl, "What happened to low profile?"

"Same way it happened last time." She shrugged and began to walk into town.

"What were you doing way out here alone last time?" he asked turning to follow her.

"Looking for Blibbering Humdingers of course." She grinned at him.

"Later Harry." The group called and began to disperse.

"Bye." He waved them off then turned back to Luna, "Luna you really shouldn't have done something like that it could have been dangerous."

"If it would have been anyone else I wouldn't have." She started to skip.

"There you are Mr. Potter." McGonagall sighed as they came into view, "Do you realize you had gone out of bounds?"

"Yes but we went to get Luna." He pointed to the girl off to the right, "She'd wandered off and it took us a bit to catch up to her."

"Very well." She sighed, "Next time send a prefect. You more than anyone should not go out of bounds like that. What if Voldemort had laid a trap for you or something."

"We won't do it again." Ginny promised then waited until the woman was out of range, "This trip."

Harry chuckled as they started to visit the shops in town. They were having a very good time until Draco ran into him. Draco bumped their shoulders together and dropped a note into Harry's pocket as he did.

"Watch where you're going scarhead." The derisive laughter made Ginny very angry.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" she growled quietly.

"Yes." Harry confirmed in a whisper as rubbed his shoulder, even though it didn't hurt, and glared after the blond, "He left me a message in my pocket."

"Shrieking shack?" Ginny asked and tugged him away from the crowds.

Once away he pulled out the note and grinned broadly after reading it. When asked he gave Ginny a summery, "Looks like our Gringotts problem is quiet easily solved."

"He can get in?" she asked.

"Yep." He agreed, "We're going to meet in the ROR later tonight and discuss it."

"We who?" she asked.

"You and I along with Ron and Hermione from our side." He explained, "Blaise, Draco and both Greengrass' from his."

"You want me to get what?" Draco asked in a high voice as the group sat in the room later that evening, "That is priceless."

"It is also something I need to have before I can kill him off." Harry explained, "He did a ritual and I need an item from each of the founders before I can finish him off. I already have the Sword of Gryffindor, the Locket of Slytherin and the Diadem of Ravenclaw. I need Hufflepuffs cup."

"How did you get it last time?" Blaise asked.

"We broke into Gringotts and stole it." Harry waved him off, "Can you get it?"

"Robbed Gringotts?" the four Slytherins gasped, "How?"

"We got a goblin to help us in then we rode out on a dragon." Harry sounded exasperated, "Surely you heard about it."

"I thought they were exaggerating." Blaise stated with awe in his voice.

"I never heard what they said about it." He replied, "So I don't know if they exaggerated."

"Will you get it for us?" Hermione asked.

"I can get Professor Snape to accompany me to the bank tomorrow." He shrugged, "I'll just tell him I'm out of funds. He's done it for me before."

"But he knows about us doesn't he?" Ron asked, "Why not just tell him what's happening?"

"He does but I don't want to give him more information he'll have to hide from the dark dork." Draco pointed out, "Who knows if they have some kind of compulsion that forces them to tell if someone is planning to hurt him."

"Or his things." Harry agreed and stood, "The less he knows the better. You all better head that way, curfew is in half an hour and you have to stop at his office."

The next afternoon Draco was back in the room with the four Gryffindors. He had just finished telling them about his trip, "They didn't even see the cup I was taking with me."

A short jab later and Harry sighed, "Almost ready. Has he gotten the Snake yet?"

"No there have been no calls for him." Draco explained, "He can't just show up unannounced."

"They aren't at your home any longer are they?" Harry asked.

"No luckily the dark dork and father had left to handle some business and by the time they got back Mother was safely gone and the Quibbler article was out." Draco explained, "She sent him a note saying I had been injured at school. He contacted Professor Snape to check on me and he told him that I was never in the hospital and he'd not summoned her. They think she's been abducted by aurors or something. They've left the house to hide somewhere better."

"Is she well hidden?" he asked concerned.

"Yes." He grinned, "I've even explained to her how I'm now on the light side but not explained why. I promised to tell her when I saw her face to face."

"I would like to know one more thing." Harry stated, "How did the three of you get to talking about that vault and did anyone hear you?"

"We didn't really talk about it." Hermione grinned, "I just asked him who would inherit his Aunt's things if she passed. He told me he was her heir and had access to her vault now since she was incarcerated. I asked him that morning when we ran into him in the kitchens. There was no one but house elves around because Ron was late getting up and missed breakfast."

"She just thought of it on the spur of the moment." Ron grinned and gave her a one armed hug, "She's just brilliant that way."

"So the dark dork can die now?" Draco asked.

"Not quite. The snake has to die first and we have one more artifact to get." Harry explained, "But I'm doing that soon."

"How soon?" Ron asked.

"I'm waiting to hear back from Bill." Harry shrugged, "It's really whenever he has a free weekend."

Harry was very upset. He was bordering on apoplectic. Dumbledore had called him to his office only five minutes before he was to leave to meet with Sirius, Moody and Bill. It was time to go after the ring. Deciding that neither meeting could wait, Harry headed to the Headmasters office while Ron and Hermione headed out to meet with Sirius.

He tried not to let his anger show as he stomped through the halls but not many were fooled. McGonagall met him at the gargoyle and the two ascended into the office together. To his surprise Amelia Bones and Kingsley Shacklebolt were waiting in the office. He took the offered seat and waited for the questions.

"Thank you for coming Mr. Potter." Amelia nodded towards him, "I have several things I wish to discuss with you. As your guardian Albus can stay and witness."

"He doesn't have to." Harry shrugged, "I know he trusts you and I do too."

"Very well, Headmaster?" she turned to the man.

"I would prefer to stay." He smiled and his eye twinkled.

"Very well." She nodded in return, "Mr. Potter do you know what a pensieve is?"

"Yes I've see one demonstrated before." He nodded, "I don't know how to pull the memories though."

"That is fine." She agreed, "I would like you to show me memories of the graveyard and your detentions."

She continued on explaining how to pull the memories. He pulled each of the ones she asked for but he also pulled one from his third year. He didn't say anything about it in case Dumbledore tried to stop him. Either the man didn't notice or he decided to allow Harry to show her an extra memory.

When she exited the pensieve she looked at him thoughtfully, "When did that extra memory occur?"

"End of my third year." Harry explained, "I know you didn't ask for it, but it is important."

"If there were some way for him to contact me I would be willing to listen to him." Amelia smiled, "The other three memories were perfect thank you. Albus do you think a full page apology in the Prophet tomorrow would be enough?"

"For what?" Harry asked.

"For the slander you've been facing." She explained.

"I don't need an apology, just stop giving them ammunition." He waved her off, "Besides if you announce he's back he may start attacking. I'd wait a bit and see what happens. Be sneaky about building up your forces and make everyone bare their arms before they can learn anything. I wouldn't take a plea of imperious curse without a veritiserum trial to back it up. Spread the news one person at a time and it will get to the right people faster because let's face it there are a lot of people who don't believe anything printed in the Prophet."

"All valid points that should have been done long before now." She agreed, "I look forward to talking with Mr. Black."

"I'm sure he'll look forward to talking with you too." Harry nodded, "Is there a way I can get in touch with you quickly?"

"A floo call should be sufficient." She suggested.

"I was just hoping there was a quicker way." Harry knew of several quicker ways but he shouldn't and letting them know he did would make them suspicious.

After his meeting Harry found himself in the common room with Ginny, "Anything?"

She shook her head and frowned, "How did your meeting go?"

"Really well." He grinned, "Amelia Bones asked me for pensieve memories of the graveyard and my detentions. I also slipped in the one where Pettigrew confessed that he'd framed Sirius."

"Wow." Ginny grinned, "That should change a few things."

"She wants to speak with him at his earliest convenience." Harry sighed before the smile drifted off his face, "How long have they been gone?"

"I'm trying to distract you here." Ginny huffed but her grin belied her anger, "Not quite two hours."

"I know several much better ways to distract me." Harry whispered to her.

"Yes but you'll feel bad if you're snogging me and they got hurt." She chuckled.

"Point." He agreed.

A little while later they headed down to lunch. While neither was hungry they both needed to make an appearance. However they were surprised when they reached the front doors and found Minerva talking to Ron, Hermione and Bill. The two of them went down and joined the group.

"Bill." Ginny greeted him with a hug.

"I thought I'd come have lunch with my four youngest siblings." He hugged her and lifter her off her feet.

"The twins want a picnic so they've gone to the kitchens." Minerva smiled, "See if you can't keep the two of them out of trouble for the afternoon would you?"

"I think we can manage one afternoon." Harry chuckled, "After that though, I make no promises."

Minerva walked away thinking to herself how much more relaxed Harry seemed this year. Of course the previous year was the tournament so it wasn't a good measure. The twins arrived and the seven of them left the school. Harry expected them to head to the lake but when they turned to the pitch he decided Sirius must have come with them. With Umbridge gone it would be safe for him to hang out a bit. Sure enough they went to the far side of the pitch just under the stands so they could be hidden. Sirius was there waiting.

"Everyone alright?" Harry asked as soon as Sirius was in hearing range.

"No injuries but I have to say I'm exhausted." Bill collapsed onto the ground with a groan.

"Ron said you had another meeting that caused you to miss the fun." Sirius pulled him into a hug.

"I had a very interesting meeting." Harry retold them all exactly what happened, "It looks like you're going to be free."

"That's amazing Harry." Hermione gushed, "Congratulations Sirius."

"Let's not count our chickens before they hatch." Sirius frowned, "A lot could still go wrong between now and then. Besides I won't be walking into the Ministry for a meeting with anyone."

"Of course not." Harry huffed, "I planning on inviting her here to meet you. I'll bring her to the edge of the forest behind Hagrid's and you can be in the forest. We'll make sure no one else, except Moody or Shacklebolt is around."

"She's the interim Minister." Bill interrupted, "She won't be anywhere without at least two aurors."

"Ok, I'll insist on Moody and someone of his choice." Harry shrugged, "That should be Shacklebolt."


	6. Chapter 6

"How did Moody take not talking to Albus?" Ginny asked.

"I just told him the truth." Hermione said, "I told him the ring was one third of the deathly hollows and that if Dumbledore knew he'd try and get it. But the horrendous curses on it would kill him. He agreed after seeing the curses that Dumbledore could never know about it. There was no way to remove the curse or cure it if you touched the ring."

"We'll remove the curse." Harry reached in his pocket and pulled out the tooth, "Where is the ring?"

"Here." Bill pulled a pouch out of his pocket. He conjured a large flat rock and dropped the ring out of the pouch.

Harry swung the tooth and hit the ring which gave a loud scream before the stone cracked down the line of the wand in the carving. He motioned at Bill who checked for the curse.

"It's gone." He sounded surprised. No one else even looked surprised so he asked, "Can I hear the story now?"

"No." Harry shook his head.

"You said if I helped you would tell me how you figured out these things." Bill accused.

"I will, but not out here where anyone can hear." He waved him off, "Actually we can move to the shack and talk there if you want to hear it now."

"Come on Bill, I'll carry you." Ron volunteered with a chuckle.

The group made their way to the whomping willow and Harry levitated a branch to freeze the tree. Bill was the only one to comment, "None of you look too surprised about this either."

"We've known for a while." Ginny grinned, "I only found out this year though."

"Third year for us." Ron indicated Harry and Hermione.

"I knew when I was in school." Sirius explained about Moony.

"You know when I learned about him it never crossed my mind to wonder what he had done during his school years." Bill shook his head, "And I always considered myself pretty good about getting all the details."

Thirty minutes later Bill was sitting in shock, staring open mouthed at his siblings. They had only been able to tell him about the marriage law and the time travel. Now they were waiting for him to digest that bit before they lay the rest at his feet.

"Bill?" Ginny asked.

"Give me a minute." He held up a hand, after several more minutes he said, "So you killed Volde."

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"The Wizengamot then told you to marry the girl that wanted to hand you over." He went on.

"Yes." Harry said again.

"Then the elves sent you back." He finished.

"Yes." Harry smiled.

"Ok." He visibly swallowed, "So you already knew about the ring then."

"Yes." Harry was beginning to feel like he didn't know any other words.

"You knew the tooth would remove the curse." He stated.

"Yes."

"How did you find out about all of it?" Bill finally asked, "I understand about the time travel but when did you learn about these things?"

"In my sixth year Dumbledore show up at school with a blackened hand." Harry explained, "He got it from that ring. Snape was keeping the curse contained in just the hand but after a year it wouldn't hold it any longer. So that year I got a crash course on Voldemort. I learned how many of those items there are and what they are. He died and we, Ron, Hermione and I spent our seventh year looking for them and destroying them."

"We also had to figure out how to destroy them." Ron pointed out, "Dumbledore forgot to tell Harry that part."

"So what was that tooth from?" Bill asked.

"The basilisk that Harry saved me from my first year." Ginny offered, "Its skeleton is still there."

"How many are left?" Bill asked.

"Two." Harry answered at the same time that Ron said, "Three."

Sirius and Bill both raised eyebrows at the two of them. Harry glared for a moment before he admitted, "There are three."

"Why did you only say two?" Sirius asked.

"He doesn't want to talk about one of them." Ginny whispered.

"Why not?" Bill pushed.

"Because I am one." Harry explained, "It's in my scar."

"But you didn't die before, you came back in time." Sirius argued.

"I did die, but I lived through it." Harry explained, "We aren't sure I'll live through it again."

"You didn't tell me about that one before." Sirius grumbled, "How can we make sure you survive?"

"We aren't really sure why I survived last time." Harry shrugged, "We're trying to make it so I'm in the same position that I was in last time. With the ring I only have one more thing to do before I'm in the same place."

"What?" Sirius looked eager.

"I have to disarm Dumbledore." Harry dropped the last bombshell, "The ring, as Hermione said, is one third of the deathly hallows. My cloak is another third. Dumbledore's wand is the last piece."

"Merlin." Bill gasped then looked up, "Does that mean you disarmed him last time?"

"Actually Draco did it." Harry chuckled, "Then I disarmed Draco."

"How are you going to do it now?" Bill asked.

"Don't know..." He seemed to pause mid-sentence and the others sat quietly watching him.

Sirius began to speak but Hermione stopped him. They waited for several minutes before Harry took a gasping breath. When he got his breath back he looked to his friends, "The snake is dead."

"How do you know?" Bill asked.

"Being his horcrux gives me insight into his mind." Harry frowned, "Not a very good place to visit let me tell you. The angrier he is the more I see."

"And he's angry?" Sirius asked.

"He is apoplectic." Harry grinned, "But it looks like the snake died of natural causes. Snape is looking it over."

"So does that mean it's only you and Volde left?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, so we need to stay ready in case he attacks somewhere earlier then he did last time." Harry turned, "Who knows what he'll do with his snake gone."

"What if he starts looking at his other items?" Bill asked.

"He probably will but they're all gone." Harry grinned, "When he discovers that he'll probably attack here to see if the diadem has been discovered. I plan on stopping him before that happens."

"We need to head back." Hermione looked at her watch, "It's getting close to dinner."

They were half way back to school, without Bill and Sirius, when Ron stopped in his tracks, "I know when he's going to attack."

Every one stopped and turned to him. Harry was the one to asked, "When?"

"In two weeks on Halloween." Ron blurted out, "Every year something happens on Halloween and in the spring."

"So I have two weeks in which to disarm Dumbledore and get the wand to Volde." Harry sighed.

"We need to get the full group together." Ginny pointed out, "We need ideas to evacuate the school that are better than using the tunnel to the Hogshead."

"Meet after dinner?" Harry suggested.

Later in the Room of Requirement Harry was standing in front explaining, "We are almost ready to face Voldemort. I have one thing I have to do before we are in the same position we were in before the end of that battle."

"You keep saying one more thing." Draco huffed.

"We have all the pieces required to undo the magic he did." Harry explained, "There is one thing that I had last time that I don't have yet. I have to disarm Dumbledore."

"What?" several yelled together.

It had quieted back down when Draco sighed, "I'd forgotten about that."

"You knew?" Blaise turned on him.

"I disarmed him the first time and then Harry disarmed me." He shrugged.

"I don't want to endanger you this time." Harry said, "I'll just disarm him. Then we need to find a way to get Voldemort the wand."

"What?" another round of yells.

"Shut it." Ginny yelled, "If Harry owns the wand then we hope it won't kill him. It's how it worked last time. We are trying to get him to exactly the same spot. We don't know if it will work or not but it's our best bet."

"But I don't understand." Susan Bones huffed, "I thought you were just pretending to be dead."

"I was but he only believed it because he hit me with the killing curse." Harry explained, "I survived it, but we don't know exactly why. So if I'm in exactly the same spot as last time we hope I'll survive again. If not at least he'll be weak enough that any of you will be able to kill him."

"But we're not as powerful as you." Hannah offered quietly.

"You won't need to be. He'll be weakened. Remember everyone was able to break his silencing spell. Neville broke his full body bind." Harry reminded them, "It won't take much."

"I think I know how to get him the wand." Draco spoke up.

"How?" Ron turned fully towards him.

"I can tell father that I disarmed him and just hand it over." He shrugged, "Tom would love to kill Dumbledore with his own wand."

"That has merit; he doesn't know it's the death stick yet." Harry nodded, "Ron think it over and see if we need any safeguards. Anymore questions on that part?" No one spoke so he continued, "Next item I thought we would be waiting until spring and killing him at the ministry. However, Ron suspects he is going to attack earlier."

Ron took his place and waited for the muttering to die down, "Every year so far we have had bad things, I mean Voldemort type bad things happen twice each year. Once on Halloween and then in the spring, I don't think he will change up now."

"What do we do?" several asked.

"We get prepared." Ron explained, "We already know how to start the statues on defense. We already know how to fight. What we have to do is watch for those Slytherins who will join him and protect the younger students. Then all we have to do is fight death eaters and Voldemort."

"We'll have the larger army this time." Harry assured them, "We have fifty eight of us and there hasn't been a breakout."

"Bellatrix is still in Azkaban." Neville huffed, "Dang it I was planning on making sure I got to stop her this time."

"Won't he just break them out on Halloween?" Padma asked.

"We don't think so." Harry hedged, "In order to stop him I needed an artifact from each of the founders. One of them is here. He knows if I find it then I can kill him. When he finds out I have at least two he'll come here looking to see if I've found this one. I don't think it's going to be a full out battle. He'll just try to sneak in and check."

"So we should just be facing him and maybe five others." Hermione pointed out, "Lucius Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle and MacNair. But I think it will just be him and whoever helps him get in which would probably be one of the Slytherins. We're hoping they pick Draco."

"And if I have Dumbledore's wand to hand over he'll be less likely to kill me." Draco added.

"Blimey Harry this just might work." Seamus offered in awe.

"What about Snape?" Daphne spoke up, "He's a death eater and he's on the inside."

"Actually, he isn't." Draco smirked, "He's a spy for the light, has been for years."

"No way." Many had hated them man during his year as headmaster.

"He is." Harry spoke up, "I didn't know until the battle was nearly over but he is. He couldn't be too lenient that year or Voldemort would have replaced him with one of the Carrow's or someone worse."

"We're going to set up some watch schedules for Halloween night. There will be people in each common room making sure no one gets out after curfew." Ron explained, "We also don't want the wrong people to get into the dorms either, just in case."

"And people watching the secret passages that aren't that big of a secret." Fred added.

"Slytherin may have to be done differently." Harry turned to the four of them, "If he's going to come in through your floo or something the watch will have to be up the corridors to the dorms. Hopefully we'll know the plan before they arrive."

"Are you sure he's going to come?" Dean asked, "It didn't happen last time."

"I'd give it a ninety five percent chance that he'll be here that night." Ron shrugged, "It didn't happen that way but Harry hadn't gotten the two founders objects yet. We found the third one at Gringotts the day before the battle and the last one was what we came here after. We have them all now."

"But you didn't rob Gringotts this time." Seamus pointed out, "How did you get that one?"

"I had some real help inside this time." Harry grinned.

"I have access to my Aunt's vault." Draco joined him in the grin, "I just walked in and picked it up."

"That means you don't get to ride the dragon again." Seamus frowned.

Halloween was approaching quickly and no one had been contacted as far as the time travel group had heard. Harry also hadn't gotten the chance to disarm Dumbledore. There had been a few ideas for disarming him but nothing that Harry thought would work. Time was ticking away and they were running out of options. When Draco got a note from his father on the morning of Halloween telling him to be in the common room alone at ten they knew they had to take action. They were reduced to desperate measures and followed the plan that the twins had thought up.

Ron and Draco staged a fight outside the Great Hall. Hermione had gone in for an early breakfast and let them know on the galleon when Dumbledore had arrived. Draco had his back to the Great Hall as they began the mock battle. Dumbledore came up behind Draco. Before anyone could say anything Harry threw a disarming spell at Draco who stepped out of the way at the last second. It hit Dumbledore and his wand went flying through the air at Harry. Everyone froze as Harry caught the wand with a look of shock on his face.

"Sorry Professor." Harry held out the wand.

"It's not often I get caught by surprise like that." Albus stated, "I would like all three of you to come to my office." He turned and left with the three of them following. In the office he sat them down and looked at all three, "That was planned. Would you like to tell me why?"

"No." Harry began, "But we will give you at least part of it."

"Go ahead." He started but held up his hand, "Enter."

Severus Snape entered along with Minerva McGonagall. They took seats and everyone turned to Harry.

"I'm not telling you everything because it isn't time." Harry explained, "I will be able to tell you the rest tomorrow."

"Why not tonight?" Albus asked.

"Something is happening and you can't be here or you'll die." Harry explained.

"I need to know." Albus stated.

"Tell him some more Harry." Severus suggested, "I think you would be better received."

"What?" Minerva gasped, "You've never called him by his name before."

"No you haven't." Dumbledore's wand was pointing at the man.

"It really is Snape." Harry stopped them, "He knows what's going on."

"I'm watching over Harry for Lily." He began and pointed his wand away from everyone, "Expecto Patronum."

The doe stepped through the office and the other two professors dropped their wand points. They then turned back to Harry with expectant looks on their faces.

"Voldemort is coming to the school tonight and I'm going to finish him off." Harry stated boldly, "If you're here and try to intercept him you'll just die."

"Harry you can't." Albus sighed, "He has done some spellwork that has to be undone before…"

He quit talking as Harry pulled out a small bag and stuck his hand in it. The first thing he grabbed was the locket belonging to Salazar Slytherin. The rest of the objects, except the ring, followed.

After the last thing was pulled out Snape spoke, "The snake is also dead."

Albus sat in shock for several minutes as Minerva watched curiously. He finally broke out of his shock and asked, "How did you figure it out?"

"I didn't." Harry explained with a grin, "You did."

"But I haven't told you." He claimed, "What did you kill them with?"

"Basilisk tooth." He replied, "You did tell me and tomorrow I can tell you all about it, but not today."

"I suppose I told you not to tell me when I told you." Albus didn't wait for an answer and it was a good thing because one wasn't going to come out, "How many are coming?"

"Probably only two." Draco offered.

"You are siding with us now?" he asked.

"I am." Draco replied, "Harry will win and I will be on the winning side. We've hid it so that they would still contact me to get in."

"Very well." Albus sighed, "But I'll be here in my office if you need help. And Harry I need to tell you about one more thing."

"I know about my scar." He said straight faced.

"You really are ready." It wasn't a question.

"I am." He sat up straight, "A few others know and they'll be there to finish it when it happens. It just can't be you."

"I know." He sighed, "I almost wish I could kill him but…"

"We have it covered." Harry grimaced, "If you don't have anything else we need to get prepared."

"Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin for fighting in the halls." Albus grinned, "You both have detention with me tonight however at dinner I will be resetting it to tomorrow because I have a meeting to attend."


	7. Chapter 7

Draco was in the common room when the fire flared and his father entered, "Father."

"Draco." He nodded, "Anyone else about?"

"No I made them all go to bed early." He sneered, "I had to threaten a few of them but they left."

"Excellent." He went back to the floo and tossed powder in and spoke for a moment. When he came back out the fire flared and Voldemort walked in.

"Draco." He sneered.

Draco bowed and waited for permission to rise when he did he grinned, "I was going to give this to my father to give to you but since you are here I will pass it to you." He pulled out Dumbledore's wand and handed it over, "He left it at his place at dinner. I think he must be getting senile."

"Well done." Voldemort took the wand with glee on his face, "I will enjoy killing off the old man with this."

"Go to your dorm and don't come out until morning." Lucius instructed, "You never saw us."

"Of course father." He turned and started down his hall. He stopped and tapped his galleon when he heard the door open.

"They're here." Hermione said unnecessarily as all the galleons had warmed and showed the code HERE DM

A few seconds later it warmed again, LAWN 1 which was code for the lawn was clear no death eaters trying to sneak in from the forest, lake or town. A few seconds more and the code HALL 9 which was code for Voldemort had entered the main hall and headed up the stairs. Codes continued with F7 9, Voldemort on the seventh floor and RR 9 when he entered the room of requirement. The last group was heard from when they got ASP 1. All secret passages were still clear. They warmed one more time and gave the code F7 HP DM, Harry had entered the seventh floor to wait for them to exit and Draco was there to distract his father.

Lucius exited first and saw Harry, "Potter, how lucky for us that you chose tonight to wander around the castle."

Voldemort stepped out from behind him with an evil grin. Lucius was caught from behind with a stunning spell and dropped to a cushioning charm so he made no noise. Harry meanwhile looked like a deer in the headlights and just stood there without pulling his wand. Voldemort, using Dumbledore's wand, quickly shot the killing curse at the stunned boy. Then next code was sent by Draco, V AK HP. They all waited on pins and needles for several moments before they got the next signal, HP UP.

Shouts rang through the halls as everyone converged on the seventh floor corridor. They made it just in time to see the green curse fly at Harry again but get turned back and hit the sender. Voldemort hit the ground with a thud a copy of the diadem clattering on the floor near his hand. A second cheer went up and the twins let off the fireworks they had stocked up on just for the occasion.

Albus opened the door at the knock and watched as Severus entered with his wand pointing behind him. Lucius Malfoy floated in followed by Draco and a floating Voldemort. Last through the door were Ron and Neville who were practically carrying Harry.

"I take it the fireworks are ours." He asked.

"The twins." Severus frowned, "All common rooms are on lockdown and have been since Voldemort arrived. Minerva and Filius are herding the rest back to their common rooms and making sure they stay. Both Greengrass ladies and Mr. Zabini are in the hospital wing citing illnesses from earlier in the evening. These four will be joining them."

"Shall I call the aurors?" Albus asked just before the floo flared and Tonks entered.

Shacklebolt and Moody followed her through. Moody checked Voldemort first, "Dead. Good job."

Harry nodded and yawned as he checked Malfoy. Draco spoke next, "He was just stunned."

"You know he's going to Azkaban don't you?" Albus asked.

"Yes." Draco sighed, "I wished I could have changed him. At least Mother is safe."

"That was part of the plan then?" the headmaster was impressed.

"Harry thought of it." Draco shrugged, "I'm glad he did."

"I can take this trash to the ministry." Moody started to grab Voldemort.

"He's not going anywhere." Harry stopped him, "Get whomever you need to verify it's him and he's dead then we're burning it. I won't be taking any chances that someone will reanimate this corpse."

"Alright." Moody nodded and turned to the floo.

"I don't think we should do that here at the school." Albus hesitated.

"Too bad." Harry was too tired to be polite, "We had to kill him and we'll watch him burn. Anyone you don't want to see can be kept in their common room."

"He was killed tonight Professor." Ron interrupted, "It takes a lot out of him to survive it. It's best to just humor him when he gets like this."

"When he gets tired?" Kingsley asked.

"No when he's in his saving the world mode." Neville shook his head, "He won't stop until the evil is eradicated. Once it's done then he'll rest."

"So how did you know about all this?" Albus addressed Harry hoping his tired state would make him give more than he wanted.

"Just under three years from now I stopped Voldemort." He yawned, "Then the ministry tried to make us marry the spouse they chose. Everyone affected met here and tried to find a way to stop them. The house elves asked how they could help and I said unless you can turn back time I don't think there is anything you can do. Next thing we know we're waking up three years in the past and have to do it all over again."

"Is that the short version?" Kingsley asked.

"It's the only version." Ron shrugged, "That is what happened."

"Except a few people affected didn't stay for the meeting." Draco added, "Seventy five were sent back and twenty seven of those are already out of Hogwarts."

"Messing with time is not a good idea." Albus began.

Harry held up a hand to stop him and said, "Once we arrived we… I decided not to end the war victorious yet feeling like we had lost. I'll tell you now four of the lives we saved were you, Moody, Severus and Tonks."

"We all agreed with his decision. There was no reason to leave it to happen as it had." Ron added, "Fred, Remus, Collen Creevey and Sirius are also thankful we didn't do it like last time."

"You will also be glad to know that Bellatrix, Rodophus, Rabastian, Mulciber and a hand full of others won't be escaping from Azkaban in January." Draco added, "Or go on that killing spree they had. Or release all the dementors on the public. You should probably get Father to tell you where they're hiding Greyback."

Moody returned before anything more could be said and he had Amelia Bones and a few others with him. They entered the room and looked shocked at the people there.

"Albus what happened?" she asked.

"I can't give you any specifics because I was not involved." He offered, "I can tell you that these four young men were instrumental in apprehending a few of your most wanted. Voldemort there is dead and Mr. Malfoy is stunned."

"And the younger Mr. Malfoy helped?" she asked.

"I changed sides this year." Draco offered, "I realized after a summer of that insane… person living in my house that I wanted no part of it at all. Mother doesn't have anything to do with it either. She is currently in hiding."

"You aren't going to deny your father's involvement?" she asked.

"Absolutely not." He pointed out, "He brought Voldemort into a school full of children tonight. I think that pretty much speaks for itself."

"That it does." She agreed, "What are the plans for the body?"

"I had to fight it so I'm going to burn it." Harry told them point blank, "It will not be leaving my sight and I'm tired so make it quick or I'll burn it before you get a chance to look at it."

"Very good." She waved her wand over it and tapped his wand, "The wand says it belongs to you."

"I don't…" he paused, "Yes I better take it. Don't want someone to do something stupid."

Harry had already pocketed the Elder wand and they had his old one there for her to check. She first checked for spells on Voldemort's wand and found seven killing curses, four torture curses and several dark cutting curses.

"Seems like he wasn't very happy this evening." She commented, "Where are we burning it at?"

"I believe we can use Hagrid's pumpkin patch." Dumbledore offered, "All his pumpkins are done for the year."

"Potter it looks like you could use some pepper up potion." Moody suggested as they started down the stairs.

Before he could decline Snape had a potion out and the cork pulled. Harry took it and downed it in one go and was able to get down the stairs under his own power.

"What's going on?" Hagrid asked as they group approached his house. He'd been sitting outside enjoying the cool weather.

"Voldemort is dead and we're going to burn him." Harry yawned even though he'd had a potion, "You got a spot we can do that?"

"I got a spot I was going to burn tomorrow." He nodded and led them over to a corner, "That enough room?"

"That will do." Amelia nodded, "Do you have any logs handy?"

"I do." He grabbed an arm load and dropped it in the spot they had indicated, "Blimey Harry did you really stop him?"

"Yes." He yawned again.

The body was flopped onto the pile of logs and Harry sent a fire starting spell at it. In a matter of an hour the body was gone and the coals lay cooling. Harry was escorted to the hospital with Neville, Ron and Draco. They found the other three Slytherins still awake."

"Well?" Daphne asked.

"Nothing but dust in the wind." Harry chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Astoria asked.

"It's an old muggle song that Sirius likes." He sighed, "Dust in the wind. I just thought it was funny that I compared Voldemort to a muggle song."

"He'd be turning in his grave." Draco snorted, "Wait he can't he doesn't have one."

"Off to bed you lot." Madam Pomfrey grinned at them, "Anyone need a dreamless sleep?"

"I would love one." Harry dropped onto a bed without getting undressed.

Poppy swished her wand at him and changed his clothes to pajamas as he drank the potion. He kicked off his shoes, rolled over and began to snore lightly. She covered him up as she shook her head at him. The rest settled in and she turned the lights down and everyone went to sleep.

_*****June after Harry's seventh year*****_

"I can't believe you want to get married already." Bill addressed his youngest brother, "I mean don't you want to play the field or sew your wild oats?"

"Why?" Ron asked with amusement clearly written on his face, "I already have the perfect girl. She isn't known as the smartest witch of our age for nothing and if I were to go sewing oats she'd kill me in a very slow and immensely painful way. After that she'd find a way to revive me so she could do it again."

"And don't you forget it." Hermione entered the room grinning and passed on the message, "Harry said if you two don't hurry up they'll leave without you and you won't get to have a bachelor's night. Ron love, if you're hug over tomorrow I'll make sure you can never father children."

"Yes dear." He kissed her and led Bill from the room.

"Are you sure you want to marry her?" Bill asked again.

"Hurry up you two." George called.

"We want to get started." Fred added.

"By all means let's go kill some brain cells." Neville chuckled from beside the twins.

"Kill brain cells." Fred got a thoughtful look on his face.

"Oh, I feel a Wheeze coming on." George grinned.

"Please tell me you won't experiment with it on Ron." Harry pleaded, "He's lost enough of them already."

"Oi." His best mate glared at him.

"What you really need to make is something that regenerates the brain cells you've already killed." Neville joked.

"Drink all you want, Weasley's Wheezes has your new brain cells ready and on sale now." Harry said in his best announcer's voice, "Don't delay because you can't afford to miss this, you're missing enough already."

"Merlin." Draco was trying to hold himself up as he laughed, "I know a few people who need a double batch."

"Crabbe needs a whole bottle for himself." Blaise chortled from his side.

"Portkey in five." Bill warned them as he tried to hold in his own laughter.

Charlie had to laugh at them as they disappeared in a swirl of color. Tonight was going to be fun.

"They're gone." Narcissa entered the room the group of girls was waiting in, "Are we ready?"

"A night in Paris? Oh yeah, I'm ready." Ginny grinned.

"Remember those of you under seventeen can still drink but I'd be careful." Narcissa warned, "French drinks are different than you are used to and you all threatened the men if they come back drunk and hung over. They'll cause you no end of misery if you come back in bad shape."

"We'll be good." Hermione promised.

"But have the alteration spell ready." Ginny grinned, "I plan on making myself sick on sweets and my dress probably won't fit tomorrow."

"At least it's a bridesmaid dress." Hermione grimaced, "I don't think my gown can be altered."

"The lady that made it can." Narcissa promised, "And she will be here in the morning. Now have fun and please tell your parents I went along. And don't do anything that they would be angry at me for, especially you Astoria."

"I'll watch her." Daphne promised.

Another swirl of color and the girls were gone. The oldest among them was her niece Nymphadora. Hopefully the auror would watch out for them or at least be able to get them out of trouble if they found any.

Harry awoke the next morning to his alarm spell blaring. He sighed, got up and went for the shower leaving the spell going off. Twenty minutes later he entered the room to find Ron's head under his pillow. He shut off the alarm and saw his friend move.

"You awake?" he asked.

"No." Ron answered, "Want to sleep."

"But you're marrying Hermione today." Harry reminded him.

"Not until six." He grumbled.

"I let us sleep until one in the afternoon." Harry sat on his bed the two were staying at Grimauld place.

"Good I can sleep four and a half more hours." He turned over.

"Actually you have your final robe fitting in twenty minutes." Draco entered followed by Neville and Blaise, "And girls can tell if the clothes fit right or not."

"So can you so what does that say for you." Ron huffed.

"It says I have style." Draco puffed up, "So get up and let's go try to get you some."

Ron chucked his pillow at the blond but sat up, "Robes?"

"Yes." Draco threw the pillow back and knocked him in the head with it, "Go shower."

"Shower." He grumbled.

"Is he always like this in the mornings?" Blaise asked.

"No he's like this all day." Harry chuckled and caught the pillow Ron threw at him.

"What do you know I can eat twenty pounds of chocolate and still fit in the dress." Ginny giggled as she put her dress on and zipped it up.

"You didn't eat twenty pounds of chocolate." Hermione giggled, "You ate thirty."

"Just wait." Molly entered the room of giggling girls, "One of these days you won't have that teenage metabolism and you'll gain wait just thinking about chocolate."

"Or you get pregnant and gain weight while you throw it up." Fleur added patting her still flat stomach.

"Are you feeling ok dear?" Molly turned to her daughter in law, "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine." She smiled, "I was just playing. Although I have been told that is true."

"Was for me." Molly shook her head and turned to her newest daughter in law, "You're parents are due any minute."

"Good." Hermione looked at her dress still in the plastic bag, "I didn't want to start dressing until she got here but I'm getting anxious."

"Don't worry, we still have just under three hours and it only took us an hour to do your hair yesterday afternoon." Daphne smiled at the nervous girl, "We have plenty of time."

"We're here darling." Hermione heard her mother's voice and sagged with relief.

The next three hours went by in a blur for Hermione. The next thing she knew she was on her father's arm waiting just outside of the view of the room where the wedding would take place. She smiled shakily at her father as he said something that she didn't comprehend at the moment. The music started suddenly making her jump. Astoria was the first one down the aisle. She got more nervous as more of the bridesmaids headed down the aisle. Finally it was her turn and she stepped around the corner and saw Ron waiting for her at the end. All at once her nerves settled. She was finally marrying Ron and even if they restarted that idiotic marriage law now they were safely together. Umbridge was gone and they'd won the war without having the muggleborn registration again and without losing any people. Hermione's smile was brighter than a hundred lumos charms as she took the first steps into her new life.

****FYI I am writing a companion to this story. Same story but no going back in time. It will make the whole part about owning Hogwarts more important. The idea in this was setting up a challenge for myself where, with one change in the beginning, the whole story becomes something different. I may do several stories on this line but right now I just have two.****


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